Genever
Genever is the oldest distilled spirit in the Netherlands, and gin would never have existed without genever. Here you'll learn exactly what it is and why “old” says nothing about its age. We also cover the difference between jonge jenever, often simply called jonge klare in cafés, and oude jenever. And of course, which glass to choose.
The best-known genever brands
These four Dutch names are found in every liquor store and behind almost every bar.
Bokma
A square bottle that's round on the inside. In 1966, this brand put grain genever on the map.
About Bokma →Ketel 1
Young genever from Schiedam, distilled in a copper pot still. This bottle brought genever back to younger drinkers.
About Ketel 1 →Bols
The world's oldest distilling brand. Genever traveled around the world through this distillery.
About Bols →
Hooghoudt
A family business from Groningen. You know them for their genever, but also for the beerenburg on the shelf next to it.
About Hooghoudt →Every genever, organized by brand
5 brands and 12 flavors, each with its own page about taste, cocktails, and the right glass.
Young and old say nothing about age
Jenever comes from the Netherlands and Belgium. It's grain alcohol with juniper, and it almost always contains malt wine. That's what sets it apart from gin. Malt wine is a distillate made from malted grain, a bit like young whisky, and it's what gives jenever its grainy, malty flavor. Gin is piney and dry. Jenever is fuller and smoother. The name is protected. Only the Netherlands, Belgium, and two border regions in France and Germany may put it on a bottle.
The words young and old are what trip almost everyone up. They refer to style, not aging. Old jenever is the original style. It contains a lot of malt wine, so it's fuller and sweeter. Young jenever, also known as jonge klare, only appeared in the 20th century, when people wanted a lighter, more neutral taste. It contains very little malt wine. Only a bottle with a year on the label, such as a five- or ten-year-old jenever, has actually been aged in a wooden cask.
In brief
Four styles, and what sets them apart
The more malt wine, the fuller and grainier it is. Understand that, and you understand all there is to know about jenever.
Young jenever
Little malt wine, so light and fairly neutral, with juniper in the background. This bottle belongs in the freezer and makes up half of a kopstoot.
Oude genever
More malt wine, and therefore fuller-bodied, sweeter and grainier. This is the original style. “Old” refers to the style here and says nothing at all about age, which can cause some confusion.
Very old genever
Even more malt wine than an ordinary oude genever. That shifts the distillate toward whisky. Full-bodied and rounded, with a slightly sweet note.
Aged genever
This one really has spent years aging in oak, as you can tell from the year on the bottle. Juniper takes a back seat. Vanilla, nuts and wood take over.
Korenwijn has at least 51% malt wine and no more than 20 grams of sugar per liter. Genever doesn’t get any fuller-bodied than this.
Grainy and malty, with juniper in the background
Grain & juniper
Grain with a hint of malt, juniper underneath and a fresh spiciness. Oude genever smells noticeably sweeter.
Smooth and grainy
Jonge genever is dry and grainy, while oude genever is full-bodied and slightly sweet. Both are smoother than gin, because the malt wine takes the edge off.
Short and clean
Short and dry, with grain. With aged genever, the finish lasts longer and turns warmer, with vanilla and wood.
This is the profile of a jonge genever. Oude genever and korenwijn score higher on sweetness, while aged genever also scores higher on strength.
How to drink genever
Jonge genever should be served ice-cold. Oude or aged genever, on the other hand, shouldn’t. It makes more difference than what you pay for the bottle.
Ice-cold, to the rim
Put the bottle in the freezer and fill the tulip glass to the rim. Take the first sip bent forward, with your hands behind your back. That way you won’t spill any, and that’s just how it’s done in a café.
Glass: genever glass →As a kopstoot
A tulip glass filled with jonge genever, with a glass of lager alongside. First, you sip the genever from the rim, then drink the beer afterward. It doesn’t get more Dutch than this.
Kopstoot →Oude and aged, served neat
Pour 4 cl at room temperature into a tumbler or tasting glass. Oude genever and korenwijn don’t need to be chilled. Chilling keeps the maltiness in, and that’s exactly what you want to taste.
Glass: tumbler →Cocktails with genever
A few classics now made with gin used to be made with genever. You can easily switch them back.
Kopstoot
A full glass of jenever alongside a glass of lager. Not a cocktail, but a classic.
Amsterdam Sour
Jenever with lemon, sugar, and egg white. The Dutch take on the sour.
John Collins
Lemon, sugar, and sparkling water. The original version was made with jenever.
Dutch Martini
Dry vermouth with jenever instead of gin. Fuller and grainier than the original.The right glass for jenever
For an ice-cold jonge jenever, choose a stemmed tulip glass that can be filled to the brim. Drink oude or aged jenever from a tumbler or shot glass. These are the glasses we’d choose ourselves.
Questions about jenever
Can’t find your question here? Check out our cocktail recipes or get in touch.
Go to the cocktail recipes →What percentage alcohol is in jenever?
What’s the difference between jonge jenever and oude jenever?
What’s the difference between jenever and gin?
What is korenwijn?
How do you drink jenever?
Can jenever only come from the Netherlands?
Buy jenever
Want the bottle delivered right away? Order jenever online from Gall & Gall. Gall & Gall has 90, 12 of which are on sale.
Prices as of November 6, 2026, as reported by Gall & Gall. You can see the current price and availability at Gall & Gall. Glazen.nl receives a small commission if you buy something through these links; you pay nothing extra. No 18, no alcohol.
